The Nasher Sculpture Center has announced the creation of the Nasher Prize for sculpture, an annual international award that will be presented to a living artist in recognition of a significant body of work that has had an extraordinary impact on the understanding of the art form. The inaugural winner will be announced in fall of 2015, and will receive the award, which includes a $100,000 prize, on April 2, 2016 in Dallas, Texas.

The Nasher Sculpture Center is one of a few institutions worldwide dedicated exclusively to the exhibition and study of modern and contemporary sculpture. As such, the prize is an apt extension of the museum’s mission and its commitment to advancing developments in the field. By recognizing those artists who have had a significant impact on the understanding and development of sculpture, the Nasher Sculpture Center will further its role as a leading institution in enhancing and promoting this vital art form.

"Today sculpture stands at the center of public discussion and debate, even as it remains a source of profound private experience" said Nasher Sculpture Center Director Jeremy Strick. "This is truly an exceptional moment for sculpture, and an international prize recognizing outstanding contributions to the field can bring focus and depth to the conversation, highlighting the achievements of the most important artists of our time, and adding to the understanding of the significance of their work. The Nasher Sculpture Center is especially well-positioned to inaugurate this award, and we are delighted to embrace this important new role."

An international jury of renowned museum directors, curators, artists, and art historians who have an expertise in the field, and varying perspectives on the subject, will select the inaugural Nasher Prize winner, including: Phyllida Barlow, artist; Lynne Cooke, Senior Curator of Special Projects in Modern Art, National Gallery of Art; Okwui Enwezor, Director, Haus der Kunst; Yuko Hasegawa, Chief Curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo (MOT); Steven Nash, founding Director of the Nasher Sculpture Center and Director Emeritus of the Palm Springs Art Museum; Alexander Potts, art historian; and Sir Nicholas Serota, Director, Tate. The jury will evaluate nominations submitted by a larger group of their peers in a process moderated by Nasher Director Jeremy Strick.

"In recent decades, the very definition of sculpture has evolved and broadened. A prize that focuses attention on the current state of the field is an exciting proposition," said Nicholas Serota. "I am delighted to be a member of this prestigious jury and look forward to a dynamic conversation as we go through the process of selecting the first winner of the Nasher Prize."

The Nasher is developing a series of public programs and educational opportunities tied to the Nasher Prize, including public lectures, symposia and family programs designed to further extend the broader appreciation of sculpture.